Bad Bed Habits. We spend about one-third of our lives in lied. A person who has reached fiO has. or shouid haw. spent twenty ypars in bed. Wo are so particular about re taining healthy positions during two thirds of our lives, why be careless about the other third ? Many bad habits and bad positions are formed during sleep. -.Some assume an attitude which cramps the chest so that respira tion is not full aud complete. This does much harm to health. The shoulders should not be drawn forward then, nor the arms folded tightly over the chest. For young people a narrow bed is pre ferable, '? so that they will not have to sprawl themselves over a large .space, nor be able to assume a dozen grotesque shapes. The pillow shouia be small aud hard. The bed clOtUJug should be light but warm, a«d allow the air to pass through, it f reply1.' Jf Hie air 1n a bed. which soon-'be'iSwiiPJT saturated with the per spiration from -our bodies, does not pass off, it makes us uneasy, and sound sleep Is Imp...

A Real Genius. There is a funny case of internal ionhl honesty down in Arizona, just, on the line between that territory and Mexico. A fanner living there makes it bis chief business to raise chickens. Chicken food is clu-ap in Mexico, und chickens bri ig lona prices in Arizon.i, but to raise fowls in M«xico and 1-rin;j theta across the boundary, or to buy food and bring it scrnsH, «-ouM in volvetbr PHvnieiii of considerable ilmv. which would i-nt up the profit^ ; him! '. smuggling is ton rlnnyrious for a inn:, j of property. Bin this fiiriu-r is » i man of ingenuity, and fo Up buiit a I long narrow hen coop, on-- half of it in ! Arizona, the other lialf in Mexico. ', Ou the line then- is n gmr- ; o'n- '.he line there are barns containing food. At feeding time tlie ?af.e is op--nr-1, the flock walk into Mexico and eat their meal. They then return to the protection of tho American flag, lay their eggs and .carry on their family affairs. The ingenious farmer thus makes money on both s...

Accident at the Publio School. A nasty accident o^cu red on Tuesday last to Master Claude Easterbrook, ton ot Gonstftlili! Kasttrbro.k, of this town. It appears that the lad was play Tig on the suing in the playground, when be let go his hold and jmnpeil backwurdH, presumably with the object of seeing what distance he could cover. Unfortunately be fell to tbe ground wih coneidoiable fore, breaking both his arms. The services of Dr. Bell were immediately called into requisition, and we are pleased to eay thnt under his care the lad is progrcHsiug satisfactorily.

THE WAY OF THE WORLD. AN AUSTRALIAN NOVEL. By GROSVENOR BUNSTER. SYNOPSIS. The story introduces us to the heroine (Alice Harrington), who has obtained a remnfieiative situation as Roveiness, through the aid of the Ki'v. Mr. Rogers, in honor of which her friend, Ethel Lafleur, determines on Riving the household a picnic to Brighton beach. Thi;y are accompanied by Willie (Alice's brother) and An effervescent French man, named Mons. Biron, and his wife. While there they meet a Mr. Gordon, a resident, to whose cottage they adjourn, to whom, however, Ethel Xafleur expresses -a great aversion. Alice Harrington is introduced to her nhnrpp us poverness. and Mr. Geore-e Gordon tries to discover her whereabouts. This is achieved through seeing her in a theatre in which Miss Lafleur makes her debut as an actress. The latter warns Alice arainst Mr. Gordon The Intter, however, makes iove to Miss Harrington, who consents to become his wife. Shortly before the marriage the girl discovers that the ...

Automatic Machinery. A TELEPHONE COINTINTHE SLOT. The Ephere of automatic machinery has been extended by a Victorian in ventor so as to embrace the telephone of commerce. Dr. F. J. Clenflinupn, a medical gentlemen whose came does not appear for the first time as the originator cf ingenious mechanical con trivances, has just perfected nn idea calculated to render the bureau tele phone capaiile of looking alter its own finances. It is (says the Age) but another rung id the coin-iu-thc-slot ladder. The new bureau telephone can be placed anywhere accessible to the pnblic. A. person desiring to use it places the requisite fee in a slot, and can tkpp talk to the exchange. Until the machine is satisfied that die caller secures the rubscriber he is in search ot it places the coin in a * suspense ' account, but the deBired conversation actually completed the caller hooks tbe transmitter and down goes the coin in to a well, accessible only to a depart mental officer, or some of the penny in-t...

One Thousand Llamas Laden with Gold. Who doesn't like to rend about buried treasure ? Who hasn't dreamed of finding it ? WljHt ilclifrht suddenly to possess vast riches ? Shining gold, sparkling gems ! Things for which we lwve not been obliecd to scheme or toil ; that will free us from all need of scheming or toiling tberenfter ! Ah, let us not indulge such fancies. They make work 6ccm like slavery nirt wages like ni« ches of com -non 3oEt. Yet that snch hidden mnsses of wealth exist there is no doubt. Out where are they ? About four centuries ago the Emperor of Peru was a captive in the hands of the Spaniards. His people sent a train of 1,000 llamas (s small beast of burden resembling n camel) laden with gold to ransom him. While on their way. crossing the Andes mountains, the men in charge of the expedi tiou hc.trd of the dca'h of the Emperor, and concealed this enormous treasure so effec tually that not a trace of it line ever bee.) found. Goarvidijjit up, an'l you will never nga...

Municipal Valuator. A pplica! ions arc invited by advertisement in another column, from perrons willing to Act iu conjunction with the Council Clerk in making a valuation of the rateable properly j within tbe municipality. Full parliculvs as to duties may be obtained on applcatiou to tbe Council Clerk.

Crown Land Sales. i ? The following sales of Grown lands are advertised in the Government Gazette of the ]6'.h instant ;— At the Lands Office, Murrurundi, on Wednesday, SOcli March, at noon:— Portion No. 80, of 327 acres 2 roods, county of Pottinger, parish of Spring field, about 30 miles north-westerly from Murrurundi and 15 miles south westerly from Breeza Railway Station, fronting roads 1 and 3 cliains wide, north of R, Binr.ie's por ion 1 aud J. Irwiu's conditional purchase portion 108, west of Messrs. Cliffs portion 116, and south cf tl.eir portion 46, parish of Doona. Upset prico, including value of Crown improvements, £2 Is 3d per aero. Reserve 25,881 from sale other than auction. At Quirindi, on Tuesday, 12th April, at noon : — Town lots — Allotment 7 of section 15, county of Buckland. parish of Wal labadah, area 2 roods, in the town of Wallabadah, fronting Victor Street, and lying between S. Rol.in's allot ment G, and J. Baily's allotment 8. Upsf-t pri;e £7 10s. A'lotment 1...

Muswellbrook Show. Tbe above show is announced iu our advertising columns to be held on tl-e2'id, 3rd, and 4th March. A large and attractive schedule of prizes has been arranged, and the show pnmiftes to be one of the most Euccevbful yet held. En tri s elite on Tues day, 15th Fcbrntry. Schedules may be obtained on application at this t,ffice.

Mark Twain on Mos quito Nets. Mark Twain, in a ltrtter to the in ventor of a mosquito net, Ulks in this way about it : — ' There is nothing that a jti6t and right-feeling man rejoices in more than to see a mosquito imposed upon, and put dowD, and brow-beaten, and aggravated aud this ingenious con trivance will do it. And it is a rare thing to worry a fly with too. A fly will stRnd off and curse this invention till language utterly fails him. I have j seen them do it hundred!) oF times. j I like to dine in the air on the back porch in Bummer, and so I would not b? wi'.hont this portable net for any thing. When you g^t it hoisted, ihe flies have to wait for the second table. We shall see the summer day come wht-n we sit under our npts in church, and slumber peacefully, w-liih- the dis comforted flies, club together and tako it out of the nrnistei. There are heaps of ways of gating priceless tn joymi-nt out of these charming Ibinas, if I had tiiDH to point tliiin out and dilate on them...

Murrurundi Common. A meeting of Commoner! of the Mur.urun di Commoa will be held at the School uf Arts thiecvenig (Sa'nrday), at 8 p.m., for the purpose of electing five trustees for the ensuing three year'.

Pianoforte Tunlnc. We are requested to direct attention to an advertisement which appears in auother column, announcing that Mr. W. Thomas, representing Messrs. W- H. Paling and -Co., is now in tbe district on his usual jxalf-y early. 1 round, and that orders addressed to him at tbe ' local Post Office will receive prompt atteb- 1 tion. Messrs. Paling and Co.,' are the j largest importer* of musical instruments in - the colony, and persons thinking of investing : in a pisno or organ would do well to inter view Mr. Thomas, who will give fall infor mation as to pricos, terms, etc.

Concert. We would dir. ct attention to an advpr tlsemriit appearing in our business oolnmos announcing a coucert to be held io the Odi fellows' Hall on Tue day evening next, iu kid of the School of Arts. An attractive programme has been ar aiged, many uf tbe itune being contributed by visitors at pre ? sent Etayii'g in the diEttict. We trnft to see the concert well patronized, and feol sure that those wbo attend will be wellfRtie tied with the tvening's entertainment.

Crown Land Sales. On page four of this iseae will be fonnd particulars of anctiou sales of Crown hnils, to be held at Mirrurundi and Quiriudi on the SOth Sjurah aud 12th April respectively, t) wfci:li we invite the attention of our readers. *

A Woman's Way. ' A woman is a good deal like a cat,' said the philosopher in the ueligee shirt. ' You can never tell which way they are going to jump.' 'Wherefore?' asked the man in the alpaca coat. 'I was thinking of an incident that hap pened over on the West Side a while ago. There is a row of houses in the street up there that is rather close together. One day a man who lives along in the middle of the row and he straightway went down town and hired the paiutere to do the job. His roof was one of the fancy-shingle affairs and he wanted it painted red. When the time came to paint the roof the three men who were working on the job fixed a ladder upon it and took places on the ladder, one at the peak, one in the middle and one at the eaves. They were painting along, when suddenly the ladder gave way and they were thrown into the air. The man at the middle had gone down to the eaves, and the combined weight of the two tipped the ladder up and threw the man at the peak into the air a...